The present disclosure relates to a paper dust collecting member, and to an image forming apparatus provided with one. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a paper dust collecting member for collecting paper dust attached to a roller, and to an image forming apparatus provided with one.
Conventionally common image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic process typically use a process involving visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum using a developing device, transferring the visualized image (toner image) to a sheet, and then fixing the image.
The sheet is conveyed through a sheet conveying passage using a roller. Meanwhile, paper dust is generated due to friction between the sheet and the roller. In particular, a registration roller pair that corrects a skew in the sheet and conveys the sheet to an image forming portion in coordination with the timing of image formation needs to nip the sheet with a strong force, and thus is likely to generate paper dust.
There are known image formation apparatuses provided with a paper dust collecting member that contacts with the outer circumferential surface of the registration roller pair to collect paper dust on the outer circumferential surface of the registration roller pair. The paper dust collecting member includes, for example, a removing member comprising sponge that contacts with the outer circumferential surface of one roller of the registration roller pair to remove paper dust, and a holding member to which the removing member is attached. The holding member is provided with a paper dust receiving portion that receives paper dust removed by the removing member.
In this image forming apparatus, for example, when a predetermined time passes, the paper dust collecting member is pulled out in the axial direction of the registration roller pair and is replaced with a new paper dust collecting member.